Tournament: Sugar Bowl 2005
Sport: College Football
Background: First played in Tulane
Stadium on Jan. 1, 1935, the Sugar Bowl usually featured
the SEC champion in its early years. That was formalized
through an agreement with the conference during the
1946 season, which continued through the 1994 season.
In 1975, the Sugar Bowl moved to the new Louisiana Superdome,
becoming the first (and still the only) major bowl game
played indoors.
The Sugar Bowl in 1987 also became the first major bowl
game to accept corporate sponsorship, under an agreement
with USF&G Financial Services, which continued through
1995. Nokia cellular telephones of Finland has sponsored
the game since 1996.
As a member of the Bowl Alliance and Bowl Championship
Series, the Sugar Bowl now hosts one of the top three
post-season matchups. On Jan. 3, 2000, it hosted the
second annual championship game played under the auspices
of the BCS.